Hello Nala... My name is Chuck and I am one of the Global Moderators here on Anxiety Zone.

Cymbalta is an anti-depressant and classified as a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI). Unfortunately for many individuals, there are often times start-up side effects when starting an anti-depressant, and this can make you feel worse before you feel better. When taking a SSNRI anti-depressant, serotonin levels in the body are immediately increased. This can cause all of the symptoms that you have listed, Nala. These symptoms can be unpleasant, but they are not going to hurt you, and as the body adjusts and accepts the medication, these start-up side effects will dissipate. The symptoms usually last 2-3 weeks. Mine lasted till day 16-17 into treatment, and then diminished rapidly.

If your go up on your dose of Cymbalta, side effects may return for awhile, but this is usually short lived.

Hang in there, Nala. It does get better, but it will take a little time.

At this point, one of the things you need to take into consideration is, is it the Cymbalta causing the symptoms, or your anxiety (and that includes your fears that something bad is going to happen by restarting the anti-depressant).

Also, just so you will know, when you start and stop the same AD, start-up side effects can change and sometimes be worse. Also, it might take more of the Cymbalta to produce the same positive effects that you experienced in the past.

Starting an anti-depressant is not a fun experience, unfortunately, but hang in there, as it does get better.

Idk i just know im very nervous feeling today and keyed up feeling. My jaw keeps feeling tight on and off and im shaky all day long. Im thinking if something bad was gonna happen it would have happened already? I just feel out of it but I feel out of it everyday. My brain just feels very disorganized all the time.

That's from the extra serotonin activity being created by the med, plus anxiety. You may have read that serotonin is the "feel good" neurotransmitter. It isn't. Neurotransmitters don't actually have an intrinsic property anyway, but generally more serotonin equals more anxiety. Fortunately, after a few weeks the brain responds to the extra serotonin antidepressants force on it by reducing the amount of serotonin it makes and releases. This often begins just before the antidepressants begins to work although it isn't the cause of the improvement, just a latter part of the process that does, the growth of new brain cells to replace ones killed or prevented from growing by chronic stress hormone exposure.

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My jaw keeps feeling tight on and off

That's probably because you're unconsciously clenching it.

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Im thinking if something bad was gonna happen it would have happened already?

The initial side-effects can be very unpleasant, but they don't actually cause any harm, though you mau need to be cautious if driving, operating dangerous machinery, etc. With many antidepressants the side-effects can be reduced by starting at very small doses, but as Cymbalta comes in relatively high dose slow-release pills which shouldn't be cut this isn't possible. The better news is that often the side-effects don't last as long as with other antidepressants.

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My brain just feels very disorganized all the time.

That may partly be the med, but is probably mostly the anxiety overloading the circuits between the non conscious Limbic system where emotions originate and the frontal lobes where consciousness is though to be manifest. It should soon settle down.

NOTE: I'm not a doctor, and particularly not yours, so there may be factors I'm unaware of. Therefore all advice is of a general nature and you should consult your doctor before following any of it, especially before changing med doses.

I still dont feel any better so far. My jaw has been feeling very weird all day. I usually dont have that problem. I cant even drink because its so tense. Ive been laying down pretty much all day. I usually dont feel this weird as I do today. I feel like a zombie. My body feels weird and when I woke up I felt extremely weird. I was sweating bizzarely, i was confused and felt very off and my pupils were very big. I just dont feel right at all. I dont remember being this way on it before. I dont even want to stamd up because I get a racing heart and feel very off. Idk if I am going to take it again tonight.

I still dont feel any better so far. My jaw has been feeling very weird all day. I usually dont have that problem. I cant even drink because its so tense. Ive been laying down pretty much all day. I usually dont feel this weird as I do today. I feel like a zombie. My body feels weird and when I woke up I felt extremely weird. I was sweating bizzarely, i was confused and felt very off and my pupils were very big. I just dont feel right at all.

While the Cymbalta may be causing all these side-effects, I suspect anxiety is also a factor, possibly more so than the med.

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I dont remember being this way on it before.md up because I get a racing heart and feel very off. Idk if I am going to take it again tonight.

If you've been on any antidepressant before than the initial side-effects can be more severe. If it was the same antidepressant then you may also need to take a higher dose this time to achieve the same level of control.

NOTE: I'm not a doctor, and particularly not yours, so there may be factors I'm unaware of. Therefore all advice is of a general nature and you should consult your doctor before following any of it, especially before changing med doses.

The jaw thing has kinda gone away. But my facial muscles and arm muscles kinda hurt. I have the shakes as well. Idk in a way yes it is my anxiety but I just dont want something to go wrong with me either. I just wish it would all go away.

Cymbalta isn't going to harm you. The side-effects can be unpleasant and scary, but they are not symptoms of harm being done.

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I just wish it would all go away.

Yes, if only it would, by sadly there are no magic bullets. The closest we have, the benzodiazepines, also have issues, mainly that doctors are increasingly reluctant to prescribe them so they can't be relied on as primary, taken daily meds.

NOTE: I'm not a doctor, and particularly not yours, so there may be factors I'm unaware of. Therefore all advice is of a general nature and you should consult your doctor before following any of it, especially before changing med doses.

Nala I'm somewhat in the same boat at the moment, and I have been fighting this thing for a year and a half. For me the tension this morning was so bad I was shaking my right hand and arm while walking around or sitting, that ended when I took an extra bit of klonopin. I'm on 1 mg of klonpin daily anyway, plus pristiq 50 mg (same class of drug as Cymbalta) and a small dose (about 10 mg? , its half a 15 mg pill and a bite off of the next half, I have been too chicken to go higher) of remeron at night. The latter does let me sleep, but I do wake with fast pulse and that can continue for much of the day, although there have been periods where I was more or less fine before this week. Rather than suddenly quitting the Cymbalta you may want to speak with your doc about either getting a long acting benzo like klonopin (its not hard to get here in the US, at least with most pdocs, but that sounds like its not true elsewhere) or some kind of dose adjustment if possible. Maybe another med would be a better fit for you as well. If it is a time release as Ian said, dose adjustment is more problematic, as I am finding with Pristiq which only comes in 50 mg or more. I even heard that the company that makes it has been asked to come out with a 25 mg pill, it would make things easier for some of us. But one thing you must try to realize, and I say this as one going thru the same sort of thing for a couple of days, the way you feel today is not forever, even if it feels like it will never get better. Somehow, some way, it will improve. The zombie feeling can also come from anxiety and depression, I feel it at times too, its like you can't think straight or concentrate on anything but how you feel, its impossible to focus outwards, and things sort of don't feel as "real" as they normally do, except for the mental and sometimes physical pain, of course. That definitely doesn't last forever, even on the same day there may be some respite, for me its usually evening on a bad day, mornings are the worst. Hope you feel better soon, and do keep in contact with your doc about the medication.

Thanks. I didn take it all yet today. I am still scared to even though ive been on it before. My headfeels weird all dayand i am a zombie most days all day. I cant think straight anymore and im always really out of it. I just want my life back. Idk what to do about about the meds. Im also very nasueous. I wake up everyday with a slow foggy head and feel like a zombie as soon as I wake up. That all weht away last time with the cymbalta. Now im back were I was 3 years ago. It makes me feel like theres something else going on.

That all weht away last time with the cymbalta. Now im back were I was 3 years ago. It makes me feel like theres something else going on.cymbalta. Now im back were I was 3 years ago. It makes me feel like theres something else going on.

Unfortunately, for many anxiety disorders and depression are recurring, they wax and wane but never completely go away.

Given the problems you're having with Cymbalta, maybe you should consider another antidepressant with a smaller starting dose. The old tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) are at least as effective as the SNRIs and because they come in relatively small dose tablets compared to their therapeutic ranges, they can be started at doses which will produce few initial side-effects. They tend not to trigger severe side-effects anyway, though they have more ongoing ones such as dry mouth and constipation. Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep) and imipramine (Tofranil) would be a good initial choices. They are the TCAs closest to Cymbalta in serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition, has an effective dose range of 75-200mg, but come in only 10mg tablets which is a tiny starting dose.

NOTE: I'm not a doctor, and particularly not yours, so there may be factors I'm unaware of. Therefore all advice is of a general nature and you should consult your doctor before following any of it, especially before changing med doses.

Thanks for your replies. I just have nobody else to talk to about this that understands how I feel. Part of me knows its anxiety,but part of me thinks its something rly serious. I am actually going to start going to therapy to get a grip on this. My regular Dr is a very smart guy but he doesnt specialize in this kind of thing. I need to get my life back on track. This happened to me a few years ago,so deep down I know its anxiety/depression. Its just very scary feeling this way again. I really do appreciate everyones support.